While Microsoft has demonstrated early versions of the Xbox One user interface and base operating system in the past, previous demos have been carefully choreographed affairs operated completely by company representatives. So I was very excited to get my first actual hands-on (and voice-on) test of the Xbox One's underlying platform at a Microsoft-hosted event last week (even if it was partially guided by two Xbox representatives who sometimes took control or suggested what I should try).

While an hour is hardly enough time to get a comprehensive feel for all of the console's system-level controls and features, I came away from the demo surprisingly enthusiastic about the multitasking and voice control features that I had come in rather pessimistic about.

Looks impressive, but I'm not sure any of this actually enhances the, you know, games.

And I think there is a problem with Microsoft's strategy in this market.
They are selling a games machine to gamers, but expect to get media consumers as a result. Its console being quite oriented to "core" gamers. The problem I see is that gamers like to expend time gaming, and that means they are not going to be heavy media consumers (on stuff other than game).

IMO games are substitutes for movies, for example. So they get a place in the dining room, but mostly in the dining room of people that play in the console games in the dining room.

Yes, there may be some overlap, but I would bet that the biggest potential consumers for a box for entertainment (other than games) and lifestyle are not into games, so it is a hard sell.

Of course, all gamers will disagree with that because they play games and like movies and ..., but truth is that if the time you expend gaming is time you are not watching movies.